Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion

lburton2 · #1 06-27-2011, 03:24 PM

I can't find ANYWHERE to try this thing out.. Has anyone tried it or own it and what is your impression? From the demos i can find on their website, it seems VERY digital and very synth like.. Which isn't necessarily a good thing for my likings.. However it does have the capability to sweep between presets with a volume pedal and presets which come in very handy when switching to different sounds within a gig.. Please help. Thx guys

Smallequestrian · #2 06-27-2011, 03:32 PM

Source Audio Soundblox Pro Bass Multiwave Distortion | eBay
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion | eBay
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion | eBay
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Bass Multiwave Distortion | eBay
Source Audio Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion | eBay

BigOldHarry · #3 06-27-2011, 03:39 PM

My buddy NoStatic talked me into buying one (he was very happy with his) - So I did.

My take? This is *not* a pedal to "warm up" or "add grit" to your town. The strengths of this pedal are the synthetic / octave distortion that, with an envelope filter, let you get some very cool bass-synth sounds. I use it without the filter when playing "Missionary Man" to get that big-keyboard bass sound... Works pretty cool.

AlvarHanso · #4 06-27-2011, 04:02 PM

Got mine last week, and so far love it! Have the BEF Pro coming as well. I knew you could get envelope type sounds from it, but didn't count on synth sounds. The morphing is amazing, and it will blow you away with the effects it can produce. It is digital, but it doesn't sound fake if that's your concern. Obviously, one weekend with a pedal with 23 basic settings an EQ and mix, distortion, and drive knobs isn't enough to fully realize the pedal's potential, but I loaded the 6 presets within an hour of messing around with it, and absolutely love the morphing. I'll probably be tweaking them more, but I'm happy with the unit for sure!

Smallequestrian · #5 06-27-2011, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigOldHarry

My buddy NoStatic talked me into buying one (he was very happy with his) - So I did.

My take? This is *not* a pedal to "warm up" or "add grit" to your town. The strengths of this pedal are the synthetic / octave distortion that, with an envelope filter, let you get some very cool bass-synth sounds. I use it without the filter when playing "Missionary Man" to get that big-keyboard bass sound... Works pretty cool.

For the most part I agree, though I've been using a single band normal distortion setting as my main overdrive sound with a lot of success for the last 18 months. It really sounds just about perfect live. The strength of the pedal though is its more synth like qualities. Paired with and octave pedal and a filter, some crazy cool sounds are well in hand.

BigOldHarry · #6 06-27-2011, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Smallequestrian

For the most part I agree, though I've been using a single band normal distortion setting as my main overdrive sound with a lot of success for the last 18 months. It really sounds just about perfect live. The strength of the pedal though is its more synth like qualities. Paired with and octave pedal and a filter, some crazy cool sounds are well in hand.

Well, that's my point: What makes this pedal *different* or extra cool is all the zany stuff that comes out. If I wanted grit, I would have kept my VT bass...

CopperheadLXXIX · #7 06-27-2011, 04:19 PM

I love mine, but as others stated, it isn't really made to cop more traditional fuzz/distortion tones (though single band can get you close).

Basehead · #8 06-27-2011, 04:30 PM

I'm totally digging the MWBDP being fed the OC-2 and out into the IE Xerograph, TC SCF and finally the Timefactor...just killer!

davepikey81 · #9 06-27-2011, 04:54 PM

im really giving thoughts to buying one
i wonder how it will sound with my other stuff
does any one know which bands / bass players use em?

AlvarHanso · #10 06-27-2011, 05:04 PM

Mike Gordon of Phish uses them, that's where I first heard it. Of course, at the time, I thought he had a new envelope filter (turned out he did, the BEF standard), but was using the MWB for an amazing envelope/synth sound on Boogie On Reggae Woman. This summer, he had the new BEF Pro, though I can't say for sure if I've noticed it in use to be honest. I'm sure he did, and I haven't listened to the whole tour in detail, more casual listening to bits here and there.
There's a brand new clip showing Victor Wooten trying out the BEF Pro.

davepikey81 · #11 06-27-2011, 05:14 PM

apparently jeph howard from the used uses one....any one know this for sho?.....

rsmith601 · #12 06-27-2011, 08:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davepikey81

apparently jeph howard from the used uses one....any one know this for sho?.....

Jeph was one of the most early users. He had a demo unit for a year!

mccartneyman · #13 06-27-2011, 08:41 PM

Demoed it last year -- loved it:
Hands-on Review: Soundblox Pro Multiwave Bass Distortion | MusicGearReview.com

rsmith601 · #14 06-27-2011, 08:45 PM

Can I make a random comment: if this pedal were implemented with a huge amount of analog circuits (which is possible, but it would take up a lot of space), it would sound the same. In fact, the first multiband distortions were all analog.

We have experimented with creating digital clipping. It actually sounds quite nice (not like this pedal at all). Maybe we should do a video so that we can better define what "digital distortion" actually sounds like. (for those who own the red Classic Pro, you can do this with the clean boost. It is an interesting tone.)

davepikey81 · #15 06-28-2011, 12:22 AM

i just watched the demo......im getting one....

itswac · #16 06-29-2011, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davepikey81

i just watched the demo......im getting one....

awesome!

lburton2 · #17 06-29-2011, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rsmith601

Can I make a random comment: if this pedal were implemented with a huge amount of analog circuits (which is possible, but it would take up a lot of space), it would sound the same. In fact, the first multiband distortions were all analog.

We have experimented with creating digital clipping. It actually sounds quite nice (not like this pedal at all). Maybe we should do a video so that we can better define what "digital distortion" actually sounds like. (for those who own the red Classic Pro, you can do this with the clean boost. It is an interesting tone.)

I've seen the bit on the Digital Clipping and it does seem like a cool idea.. The demos i find on the website are fairly one-directional.. Very synth like distortion tones etc.. But I want to know how "true" of a drive/fuzz it can get and everywhere in between. Thx for the replies guys.. This is helping

itswac · #18 06-29-2011, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lburton2

I've seen the bit on the Digital Clipping and it does seem like a cool idea.. The demos i find on the website are fairly one-directional.. Very synth like distortion tones etc.. But I want to know how "true" of a drive/fuzz it can get and everywhere in between. Thx for the replies guys.. This is helping

We got some very similar responses to what you are saying here when we first posted the demo videos for the Multiwave. We made this video to address some of those concerns:

YouTube - ‪Feedback: Distortion With Bass Guitar‬&rlm;

Let us know if that helps!

warwick.hoy · #19 06-29-2011, 03:54 PM

I love the "normal" distortions on the ProMWBD. Like Small EQ,...the Singleband Normal is a main OD sound for me.

rsmith601 · #20 06-29-2011, 04:17 PM

Single Band "Normal" is perhaps the most popular setting on the pedal. It is also what Victor W. uses.

Does it sound exactly like mild tube overdrive? We should ask Small EQ and W. Hoy for their input, but I would probably say that no it does not do that exactly.

It is interesting that this conversation is going on while the "why do people hate multi-effect pedals" is also going on. Our sort of unique approach at Source Audio is to take a key theme and then express this in lots of different flavors all in one pedal (with lots of tweaking and saving options). It is neither single effect not multi-effect. With that said, we put in lots of time and energy into making each flavor have its own special characteristics. We want customers to be able to find their own sound, and we also want to make pedals that are really fun to explore over time. Note that the Multiwave is intended to be more "modern" tones, while our Classic Distortion is intended to be more "traditional" distortion tones (such as mild tube overdrive). We do not (yet) offer one pedal that does both.

I guess what I am saying is that this pedal can do many cool things, but it CANNOT do it all.